Coronavirus Can Be Deadly for Young Adults, Too, Study Finds

Several weeks and more than 2,000 positive virus tests later, the penalties have kicked in.

According to a university spokeswoman, the university has issued 639 individual student sanctions as of Sept. 8. Thirty-three students have effectively been suspended from campus, Deidre Stalnaker wrote in an email message, “while their conduct cases proceed through due process.”

Three student organizations, she said, have received “Covid-related sanctions,” and one organization is pending suspension.

College campuses across the country have had to invent on the fly a whole new enforcement regime for the coming semester, trying, and often failing, to clamp down on partying and much of the socializing assumed to come along with college life. Students have been suspended for violating safety protocols and in at least one case, dismissed without a refund of their tuition.

The University of Alabama spokeswoman did not identify what types of violations had led to the sanctions.

In late August, the university announced a moratorium on in-person student events outside classrooms. Common areas in dorms and fraternity and sorority houses have been closed, and visitors prohibited.

The mayor of the city of Tuscaloosa shut down all bars for two weeks starting Aug. 24; bars have since been allowed to reopen with restrictions on how many people can be inside at once.

Reporting was contributed by Katie Benner, Choe Sang-Hun, Emily Cochrane, Gillian Friedman, Christina Goldbaum, Emma Goldberg, Mike Ives, Patrick Kingsley, Niki Kitsantonis, Michael Levenson, Raphael Minder, Claire Moses, Tariro Mzezewa, Saw Nang, Richard C. Paddock, Roni Caryn Rabin, Motoko Rich, Christopher F. Schuetze, Nelson D. Schwartz, Dera Menra Sijabat, Karan Deep Singh, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Muktita Suhartono, Megan Specia, Noah Weiland, Lauren Wolfe, Jin Wu, Katherine J. Wu, Ceylan Yeginsu and Elaine Yu.